Iowa Company, President Convicted for Workplace Death

Now this is some good news:

Jury convicts company in worker's death

VINTON, IA — A Benton County jury has convicted a Tipton company and its president of violating state safety rules in the death of a Cedar Rapids man.

Andrew Ross, 29, fell to his death in 1999 while working on a 300–foot free–standing communication tower. It was his first day on the job for Trigon Inc. The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health bureau said he lacked proper training and was not wearing fall protection equipment.

"This is the first criminal case in the state of Iowa in which a willful violation of OSHA laws that caused a death has been prosecuted," said Benton County Attorney David Thompson, who prosecuted the case.

Trigon and its president, Karl Thompson of Mount Vernon, were each found guilty of two counts of willful violation of safety regulations. Each charge is a serious misdemeanor and carries a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,500.